Certain hairdressing procedures, such as frosting or streaking for example, require the application of dyes, bleaches, tinting solutions or the like to selected strands of hair. The substance which is applied to the hair must usually remain in place for a period of time after which it is removed by washing the strand of hair.
In most cases, it is desirable to confine the hair treatment solution to one or more specific strands and to prevent contact of the solution with adjoining areas of the persons hair. Prior devices for accomplishing this are not entirely satisfactory.
One common procedure involves wrapping metal foil around each strand of hair that is to be treated, securing the foil in place with rubber bands or the like and injecting the hair treating solution into the wrapped foil with the pointed tip of a squeeze bottle. The foil does not form a desirably fluid tight enclosure and leakage of the hair treatment solution into adjoining areas of hair can easily occur. Unwrapping and removal of the foil can also be somewhat taxing if inadvertent transfer of the solution to other areas of hair is to be avoided.
In another common procedure, a cap having spaced apart apertures is fitted onto the person's head and strands of hair are pulled through the apertures. Treating solution may then be applied to the strands while the cap protects other areas of the person's hair. This procedure can be somewhat painful. Drawing the strands out through the apertures and the later removal of the cap while the strands protrude through the apertures both are both accompanied by a pulling on the roots of the hair.
A variety of other devices have been developed for the purpose of confining hair treatment solutions to individual strands of hair but each is subject to one or more limitations. Some are too costly to be treated as disposable items and must be washed and stored between uses. Others do not enable easy inspection of hair during the treatment process. The prior devices do not accommodate easily to adding more hairs, or removing some of the hairs, while the treatment is in progress.
Prior devices do not provide a practical way to stop the treatment of one strand of hair, by washing, while the treatment of other strands is continued. The prior devices also do not provide a practical, convenient way of coloring successive portions of a single strand of hair in different colors during a single treatment. These capabilities would greatly increase the range of effects that can be created by the cosmetologist.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems discussed above.